January 11, 2009
This idea is brought to you courtesy of strange dreams about CC27. Kevin and Radar were each trying to get me into their own masquerade entries, both very complicated and strange. Kevin's had s'thing to do with machinery he was testing for work and demonstrating it on stage with lights and costumes. Radar's featured interpretive dance and clocks, like a steampunk ballet.

But the thing that gave me a costume idea was a reminder that CC27 has a "vampires, villains, and vixens" theme. In my dream, people were wandering the halls in super-cool costumes in this theme, and I kept thinking, dang, I need to go change into something awesome, because c'mon, I am a Renowned Net.Goth, the original Gothic Martha Stewart, I can't be slacking here!

And what have I been obsessing about recently? Patterns of Fashion 4. So ta-da: Bat Rebato. Y'know how those lovely rebatos were worked in pretty floral designs, the wire twisted into pattens that replicated the lace often. Well, I have a bunch of lovely black 1920s lace from my stepdad's mom. I could make a big stand-up lace collar to frame my face. I have a stash of black millinary wire to make the frame to hold up said collar. Why not have the frame be in a cool pattern? Like bats! This would be (a) GOTH AS FUCK and (b) cool for SCA because my device (should it get approved) features a bat. WIN! And it uses stuff from The Stash.

I can wear it at CC27 with some goth outfit I slap together, then wear it with one of the 1610s gowns I'm planning for SCA use later.

I'll get started on it after we return from Italy/U.K.

January 13, 2009
In which she elaborates: Erzsébet Bathory with a lacy bat rebato (Bess gets the blame for this one). Based on the one known portrait of the lady. Use some red-shot-with-black wool from The Stash for the skirt and bodice (which will be SCA-usable later). Rebato as described earlier from the 1920s black lace and black millinery wire in The Stash (also good for SCA use afterwards). Will need some sheer-ish black material for the blouse and apron -- maybe black silk gauze, because it would feel scrummy, even though it's a PITA to work with (that's what I made the rhymes-with-motherfucker out of for the Eugenie gown, in white).

I'm thinking I'll make it all separates -- bodice and skirt and blouse (there's actually sleeves under the sheer blouse, but I don't want them right now). The portrait looks more like the bodice and skirt are connected, probably a gown over a kirtle (that might be what the under-sleeves are attached to), but I like mix 'n match for practicality's sake.

And I might not do the big crazy headdress either! Not my best look ;-) Then again, I could get inspired because, hey, weird things on my head...

And then, on the last weekend before the con, I finally made it. Just the wire rebato, not the outfit (perhaps another day). I decided I could wear it with some 16th-century things in my wardrobe, in particular, the rebato could hold up the 1590s ruff quite well.

First, I sketched a design of three bats in a semi-circle the same size as the existing ruff. Then I used black millinery wire to make the rebato. Much twisting with needlenose pliers and fingers ensued. Took a couple hours, and I feel like I could do better. Pretty good for the first one, and the concept worked very well. I added ribbon ties that pinned at the front of my gown, and the rebato held the ruff up quite nicely all day.

Photo from Koshka.